Your best friend is your confidant, your better half, and your person. You look to them for advice, to vent about your problems, and tell them your darkest secrets. Why aren’t you looking for those same qualities in your romantic partners?
- You’ll be able to trust your partner completely. You know your BFF has your back and will take your secrets to the grave with her. You trust her to be behind you 100% no matter what happens in life—why shouldn’t you feel the same with your partner? If you’re in a relationship with someone who also happens to be like your best friend, trust is pretty much a given. Isn’t that a relief?
- You’ll laugh a lot more. Laughing with your best friend is almost second nature and it should be the same with your romantic partner. Being able to crack a joke or make your guy laugh will not only associate fun but it’ll also make it easier to bond and decrease stress when life throws tough times your way. Laughing and being able to poke fun at each other is also important so nothing is taken too seriously.
- You’ll resolve problems a lot faster. When my BFF and I have a problem, we both apologize and resolve it quickly because she’s like family and fighting with family sucks. Fights between best friends can crop up over petty things, sure, but they’re usually resolved pretty quickly. When you’re in a relationship, it’s easier and beneficial to both to work on the problem and move on. It’s harder to hold a grudge than to let it go.
- You’ll experience more overall happiness daily. Happiness comes from within and you should never base yours on other people, friends or otherwise. Still, there’s no denying that your BFF makes your life better, and your romantic relationships should follow suit. If you’re feeling crappy after a tough day at work, they’re there to help you feel better—at least that’s how it should be.
- You won’t feel like you’re under so much pressure. The amount of pressure that both men and women put on themselves to act a certain way in relationships is unbelievable. They’re afraid of messing it up, coming on too strong, or saying something stupid. If you imagine talking to the person you’re interested in the way you talk to your best friend, it makes it that much easier to calm down and relate to them. There’s less pressure to impress and it’s such a relief.
- You’ll respect each other more. No doubt you have plenty of respect and admiration for your BFF, as you should. I respect my best friend for following her dream of becoming a lawyer. I also respect her opinion and go to her for advice. Look for the same thing in your relationship. Find a partner whose opinion you respect, go to him for advice, and appreciate him for helping you. If you show respect, he’ll show it too (and if he doesn’t, get out now).
- Your relationship will be more passionate. Passion might sound odd when talking about a friendship, but sharing a passion with your best friend creates a better bond, whether it’s about a shared hobby or life as a whole. When it comes to a relationship, this quality is even more important, especially since you’re also having sex with this person. If there isn’t any passion in a friendship or relationship, it wouldn’t be fun for either side.
- You’ll have more patience with your partner. Dealing with people who have different ideas about politics or life choices means you’re more likely to butt heads, especially if that person is your best friend. However, because they’re your best friend, you’re patient and hear their side of the argument. The same should go for your romantic partner. When you’re understanding and patient with your S.O., it helps maintain the stability of the relationship.
- You’ll have fewer unrealistic expectations. When you hang with your best friend, there’s no expectation for it to be the best hang out in the entire history of the friendship—you should have similar expectations with your S.O. Every time you see your partner, it might be a more relaxed evening rather than a crazy, over the top, romantic night out. That shouldn’t be a disappointment—just sit back, relax, and enjoy spending time with someone you love.
